Ink fountain for intaglio printing presses



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onouoooooae INK FOUNTAIN FOR INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESSES Jan. 25, 1949.

Filed Feb. 1, 1945 Jan. 25, 1949. J. E. MEYER 2,460,184

INK FOUNTAIN FOR INTA'GLIO PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I I! EN} 1 & w v

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Patented Jan. 25, 1949 INK FOUNTAIN FOR INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESSES Joseph E. Meyer, Westerly, R. I., assignor to C. B.

Cottrell & Sons Company, Westerly, R. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application February 1, 1945, Serial No. 575,679

My invention is directed to improvements in enclosed ink fountains for rotary intaglio printing presses and particularly to the inking mechanisms thereof.

An object of my invention is to provide a horizontally disposed pipe for supplying ink to a pivotally supported inker head, the said ink supply pipe serving as the pivotal support for the inker head, thereby materially simplifying the ink fountain structure.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the source of ink supply may be connected to either end of the ink supply pipe as may be found necessary or desirable.

Another object is to provide means for closing off the interior of the ink supply pipe beyond the port which brings the ink supply pipe into communication with the inker head passage, said means being preferably removable and reversible according to which end of the ink supply pipe is connected to the source of ink supply.

Another object is to provide novel means for ensuring a complete ink coverage of the printing surface of the printingcylinder, thus eliminating any blank spots or ghosts thereon caused by air bubbles in the ink which is supplied to the said printing surface, such .means comprising a defiector located across the fountain in position to re-direct the ink thrown, or dropped from the printing cylinder, back onto the printing cylinder and thus fill any depressions or blank spots there- Another object is to provide novel and effective manually operated means, as, for instance, power increasing means for swinging the inker head easily into and out of its inking position.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which I Fig. 1 represents a detail view of the press partly in side elevation and partly in section, the inker head for the printingcylinder being shown in full lines in its raised or inking position and in dotted lines in its lowered or non-inking position;

Fig. 2 represents a detail vertical section taken in the plane of the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents a detail end elevation of the manual means for swinging the inker head, and

3 Claims. (Cl. 101-157) Fig. 4 represents a detail section taken in plane of the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

The printing press frame includes generally the hollow base I and the uprights 2. The design or printing cylinder is denoted by 3, the impression cylinder by 4 and the pressure cylinder by 5. The web guide rollers for leading the traveling web 6 to and from the printing and impression cylinders are denoted by 1. These cylinders and rollers may be suitably mounted for rotation between the uprights 2, said mountings not being shown as they form no part of the present invention.

The pivotally supported inker head 8 has a wide discharge slot 9 extending across the top of the head, through its nozzlepwhich slot is located in position to direct the ink downwardly onto the upper surface of the printing cylinder at one side of the impression cylinder 4. This inker head forms the front wall of the upper portion of the fountain bowl.

The wiping mechanism includes a ductor blade [0 located in position to wipe the ink from the upper surface of the printing cylinder 3 at the opposite side of the impression cylinder 4 from the inker head discharge slot 9. This wiping mechanism will not be specifically described as it forms no part of the present invention.

Any well known or approved means, not shown, may be employed for removing and replacing the printing cylinder 3 through the front of the ink fountain when the inker head 8 is swung to its lowered or non-inking position. I

A horizontally disposed pipe H is provided for supplying ink under pressure to the inker head 8, said ink supply pipe extending across the fountain and serving as the pivotal support for the inker head. In the present instance, the ink supply pipe passes through alined pairs of hollow lugs l2.and l3 projecting from the inker head and base respectively and the pipe is firmly secured to the base lugs by set screws l4.

An ink supply line I5 leads from a suitable the ' source of ink pressure supply, not shown, and it supplied under pressure to the inker head throug either side of the press.

This ink supply pipe I I, about midway between its ends, has a side port I 8 through which the ink is supplied to the inker head. The inker head 8 is provided with a hollow lug 15 which rotatably embraces the ink supply pipe at the side port to open communication from the interior of the ink supply pipe through the side port and the hollow lug to the vertical passage 20 in the inker head. This vertical passage 20 is in open communication, through the manifold 2|, to the ink discharge slot 9. Suitable glands l9* surround the ink supply pipe .II and engage the .hollow lug [9 upon opposite .sidesof the side port Hi to provide inktight joints.

Means are provided for closing the interior of the ink supply pipe just beyond its side port I8 to direct the ink upwardly through the hollow.

lug 59 into the vertical passage 20 and from thence through the manifold 2| to the ink discharge slot 9. In the present instance, this closure means is shown as a removable and reversible tube 22 having its inner and outer ends closed by plugs 23 and 24 respectively. The plug 24 is preferably provided with a squaredgprojection 25 for facilitating the removal and insertion ofthe tube bya suitable instrument, not shown. This closed end tube 22' slidably fits the bore of the ink supply pipe H and is held in its inserted position by the screw cap IT. The contacting surfaces of the closed end tube 22 and the ink supply-pipe H .are preferably smeared with grease or other suitable material for preventing the leakage'of ink between the tube and pipe .and to also facilitate the removal and insertion of the tube. .Itwill beunderstood that by theremoval of the screw cap 11 the tube may beremoved at any time for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the ink supply pipe ll.

Means are provided for ensuring the complete ink coverage of theintaglio printing surface of the printing cylinder 3 and thereby eliminating any bare spots or ghosts due to air bubbles .in the ink stream directed-onto the printing cylinderby the inker-head. means is shown as an finkdeflector extending across the inner wall of the inker head 8 and mounted for vertical adjustment thereon to vary the width of the space between theedge of the deflector and the lower surface of the printing cylinder, as desired. This deflector is shown as comprising a base portion 26 and a downwardly inclined portion 21. To obtain the vertical adjustment of the deflector the base portion 26 may be provided with vertically elongated slots 28 through which clamping screws 29 are passed into threaded engagement with the inner wall of the inker head. One only of these slots 28.and its clamping screw 29 areshownin theaccompanying drawings.

The-downwardly inclined portion. 21' of the deflectoris arranged in position to re-direct the ink thrown or dropped from the peripheral surface of the-printingcylinder backonto saidsurface, toensure the filling of all of thedepressions inthe printingsurface of the cylinder and any portions whichmay have been left bare by the ink directed onto the cylinder by the inker head.

Preferably the d scharge slot .9 in the inker headis arranged. when in its ink ng position, to direct the inkdownwardly onto the upper surface of the printingcylinder 3 above its ax s and adjacentto the im ression cvlinder 4. The deflec or is arranged to re-direct the ink onto the lower surface of the printing cylinder 3-on the same side; it being understood that the doctor blade I!) of the wiping mechanism is preferably located in contact with the upper surface of the printing cylinder adjacent to the other side of the impression cylinder 4.

The manually operated power increasing means shown herein for permitting the inker head to be easily swung between its raised and lowered inking and non-inking positions includes the following elements. Two side chains 30 are removably secured to the top of the inker head 8 at its .ends andare lled upwardly therefrom. between guides 3|, 332 ontthe uprights 2. to and around two chain pulleys 33 located near the ends of a .closs shaft 34 rotatably mounted in the said uprights. One end of this cross shaft 34 is extended through one of the uprights 2 and it is there provided with a worm wheel 35 which meshes witha worm 36 of a hand shaft 31 rotatably mounted in the walls of a housing 38 on the said upright. Exterior to this housing, the

hand shaft 3'! is provided with a chain pulley 39 around which passes a hand chain 40 depending into convenient reach of the operator. It will be noted that in the drawings the chain guides 31,32 are so positioned on the uprights 2 that the inker head 8 is positively swung past its vertical dead-center as theheadis swung away from its inking position.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to intheconstruction, form and arrangement of :theseveral parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, .but what I claim is:

1. In an enclosed ink fountain .for rotary intaglio printing presses, a: hollow base, side uprights carried thereby, arotary printing cylinder, a horizontally.disposed inksupply pipe mounted on the base, an inker headpivoted on. saidpipe to be swung between airaisedsubstantially vertical inking position and a lowered substantially vertical non-inking position, andmanually operated power increasing means for swinging the .inker head'between sai'd hiking and non-inking positions, including a cross shaft mounted in said side uprights above the inkerhead, ,pulleys on said cross shaft adjacent saidside uprights, sidechalns leading upwardly from thetop of the inkerihead to and aroundxsaid pulleys, andguides on said side uprights through whichthe side chains pass to ensure the positive movement of the inker head past its vertical dead center as the inker headis swung. in one direction.

2. In an enclosedjinkfountain-for rotary intaglio printing presses, a hollow base, side uprights carried thereby, a rotary printingcylinder, a horizontally disposed ink supplypipe' mountedon the base, 'an inkerh'ead pivoted In said pipeto be swung between a :raised substantially vertical inking position and aloweredsubstantially vertical non-inking position, and'manually operated power increasing :means for swinging the inker head between said inking and non-inkingzpositions, including a cross shaftzmounted in said side uprights above the iinkerzhead, pulleys on said cross shaft adj acentesaid side uprights, side chains leading upwardly fromthe top of theinker head to and around said :pulleys, and guides on said side uprights through which the side chains pass to ensure thepositivemovementof the inker head past its vertical dead .centeras .the inker head is swung. awaylfrom'.lts;lnking,position.

3. In an enclosed ink. fountain Jfor rotary .in-

taglio printing presses, a hollow base, side uprights carried thereby, a rotary printing cylinder, a horizontally disposed ink supply pipe mounted on the base, an inker head pivoted on said pipe to be swung between a raised substantially vertical inking position and a lowered substantially vertical non-inking position, and a manually operated power increasing means for swinging the inker head between said inking and non-inking positions, including a cross shaft mounted in said side uprights above the inker head, pulleys on said cross shaft adjacent said side uprights, side chains leading upwardly from the top of the inker head to and around said pulleys, a second shaft mounted on one of the side uprights and having a worm and gear connection with the cross shaft, a pulley on said second shaft and a hand chain passing around said pulley, and guides on said side uprights through which the side chains pass to ensure the positive movement of the inker head past its vertical dead center as the inker head is swung in one direction.

JOSEPH E. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

